Package-forming machinr



L W. LUELLEN.

PACKAGE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1913.

l 1 94,045 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- III! WITNESSES:

AM; ATTORNEY L. W. LUELLEN.

PACKAGE FORMING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, $913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A A 7TOR/VEY L. W. LUELLEN.

'PACKAGE FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. :5. 1913.

1 1 9%.,Q45 Patanted Aug. 8, 1916.

. 3 SHEETS'SHEET 3- WIT/1.58858.- I/VVE/VTOR W I k A; ATTORNEY canton.

'-'I4AWBENGE W. IJUEIJLEN, MOUNTAIN LAKES, NEW JERSEY, AS SIGNOB '10INDI- VIDUAL DRINKING CUP COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OFZ PACKAGE-FOBMING MACHINE. V

Patented Aug. 8, acre.

Application filed December 15, 1918. Serial No. 806,823.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, LAWRENCE W. LEN, a citizen of the United States,resldmg in Mountain Lakes, county of Morris, and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package- FormingMachines, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying sheets of drawings, is a full, clear, and concisedescription.

My invention relates to improvements in package forming machine's.

More specifically my invention comprehends a mechanism, which will causesubstantially flat rectangular shaped bandages to be rolled andcompressed into a cylm-' drical package form and be delivered there fromwrapped within a covering of paper or the like for distribution throughautomatic dispensing machines.

My invention furthermore comprehends certain details of mechanism, whichwill impart to the bandage, when removed from its package, a substantialtrough-like formation.

These and other novel features of my invention will be more fullydisclosed n the followin specification and set forth 1n the 'appendeclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown onepreferable embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of apackage forming machine, including the novel features of my invention.Fig. 2 is a view thereof in side elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 isa view in side elevation partly in section. 'Fig. 4 is a detail viewsomewhat similar to Fig. 2 showing the package delivery mechanism inoperation. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and top plan views respectively, ofthe winding mandrel. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are details of the bandage indifferent positions or stages of packing. Fig. 11 shows the completedpackage. Fig. 12 is a detail of a modification showing a one-piecewrapper spindle having fixed jaws. Fig. 13 is a detail show ing amodified form of hand-operated mechanism for imparting rotary movementto the wrapper spindle and reciprocal movement to the package ejector.

In carrylng my invention into practice, I employ a suitable standard 1,carrying a face plate 2, to which is attached forming guides oftrough-like formation 3. Beneath chamfered as at 18.

' article to be wound and packed. The drum 4: is supported by a standard6 at the end of a plunger support 7 through which a plunger 8reciprocates and causes the wrapped article to be ejected from the drumincased within awrapper. This plunger 8 carries at one end anenlargement or head 9, substantially the diameter of the interior of thedrum 4 and engages one end of the wrapped article 10, (shown moreclearly in .Fig. 4) to eject it from the device as explained, thewrapper 5 having been first placed or slipped over the drum 4. Suitableautomatic operating mechanism is provided to accomplish this ejectionand I have shown as an example at one end of the plunger 8, a pair ofcollars 11 between which project a pair of pins or studs 12 carried atthe end of a bifurcated arm 13. Reciprocal motion 1s imparted to thisarm at the right interval of time after the article has becomecompletely wound upon the winding spindle. To prevent the article frombeing dislodged during the windin thereof an end plate or closure 13pivote at 13 .is employed, the same being arranged to be swung into andout of alinement with the open end of the drum 4.

In order to obtain rotary motion required to wrap the article, I arrangewithin the plunger 8 a tube spindle 14, journaled and supported in thebearing 15 of the standard 16. Keyed to this spindle 14, is a sprocket17 driven by a suitable chain (not shown). The opposite end of thisspindle projects within the housing or drum 4 and is slightly This endaccommodates the split spindle 19, which is adapted to automaticallygrasp and hold firmly the end of the article preparatory to its beingwound thereon. This spindle consists of coinciding sections 20 and 21,pivoted at 22 and normally held in separated position by a spring 23. Inorder to close these jaws against the tension of the spring 23, to graspthe end of the article, I arrange a plunger attached to the ejector.

24, which reciprocates within the spindle 14, suitable mechanism similarto the mechanism described in connection with the ejecting mechanismbeing employed for this purpose, that is by means of collars 25 and 26with pins 2 7 and bifurcated arm 28 associated at the end of the plunger24. The inner end of the plunger 24 is cone-shaped as at 25, and engagesone end of the jaws of the spindle, these being curved at 26 to coincidewith end 25 of the plunger. The guides 3 are trough shaped with curvedends 29 divergin inwardly in opposite direction, these en s. act uponthe edged portions of the article during its passage through themechanism, so that the article is somewhat folded and compressed into amore compact form than that in which it is before it enters.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated the mechanism in conjunction with thefolding and packing of a cat-amenial bandage, whlch has partly beenwound, severallaminated windings havin taken place upon the spindle. Thecondition of the bandage at this state of winding is more clearly shownin Figs. 7 and 8, where it will be seen that the side edges 30 and 31have been folded over by the curved forming guides 3. Fi 7 shows therelative dimensions of the article before and after wrapping, thewrapped end being considerably narrower than the unwrapped end.Continued wrapping by the mechanism shapes the article as shown in Figs.9 and 10, until finally when the article has been entirely wrappedaround the spindle 19, it assumes the condition shown in Fig. 4,whereupon the wrapper 5 having a closed end 32 is placed over the drum4. The ejecting mechanism then comes into operation, the plunger 9engaging and ejecting the article and wrapper from its mechanism afterwhich the open end of the wrapper is closed and the article is then inits finished condition, as shown in Fig. 11.

Instead of operating the mechanism by electrical power, or otherwiseautomatically, I may operate the same by hand. In order to accomplishthis, I have shown 1n Fig. 13, a crank 33 mounted upon a spindle 34,which does not reciprocate like the spindle 24, shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive. The crank upon rotation imparts the winding movement to thesplit spindle 19. I may, if desired, form at the end of the spindle 34,integral jaws 35, between which the end of the article to be wrapped maybe placed, after which, a slight rotary movement will sufiice to producethe necessary grip to cause the article to be fully wound thereon. Inorder to eject the wrapped article when the device is hand-operated, Imount a hand lever 36, upon the crank 33, which lever is By rocking thishand lever 36, the necessary projecting movement is obtained to ejectthe package from the drum.

While an embodiment of my invention is shown and described in connectionwith the wrapping and packing of catamenial bandages, it ismanifest-that it is equally adapted to wrap and pack other articles,although to the accomplishment of which slight modifications may berequired in the structural arrangement of its parts. The illustratedmechanism as explained when operating upon a bandage not only compressesand packs it into a relatively small package, but in the packing impartsa peculiar desired trough-like shape to it, which it assumes upon beingremoved from its wrapper.

Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention what Iclaim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A package forming mechanism including 'in combination shaping andwinding mechanism operating to wrap into package form a substantiallyrectangular flexible article, said shaping and winding mechanismincluding a pair of curved guides, a cylindrica-l wrapper holderadjacent the discharged end of the guides, a winding spindle rotatablymounted within the cylindrical wrapper holder and means for impartingrotary movement to said winding spindle.

2. A package forming mechanism including in combination a pair oftrough-like guide members, a wrapper holder at the discharge end of theguide member, a clam ing spindle located within the holder and a aptedto clamp the end of a flexible article and wind the same thereon, meansfor automatically operating said clamping spindle, and means forrotating the splndle to wind the article thereon.

3. A package forming and wrapping mechanism comprising in eombinatlon apair of trough-like guides adapted to accommodate and shape an articlepassing therethrough, a bi-sected clamping spindle adapted to engage theend of the article and wind the same thereon, mechanism for rotatingsaid spindle, and ejecting mechanism for removing said article from saidspindle when completely wound.

4. A package forming mechanism including in combination a pair oftrough-like guide members, a clamping spindle adapted to clamp the endof a flexible article and wind the same thereon, means for automaticallyoperating said clamping spindle, means for rotating the spindle to windthe article thereon, and means for removing said article from thespindle when completely wound.

5. A package forming mechanism comprising a pair of trough-like formingguides, a drum juxtaposed to the discharge end of said guides, said drumbeing provided with drum,

a slot to permit the passing of the article from the guides to theinterior of the drum and to support a wrapper after the article hasbecome completely wound, a clamping spindle rotatably mounted withinsaid means for operating said clamping spindle to cause the same toengage and clamp the end of the article, said clamping spindleautomatically operating to release the end of the article when thelatter is com pletely wound, and means for automatically ejecting thewound article and wrapper from the drum.

6. A wrapping mechanism comprising a pair of trough-like forming guides,a .winding mechanism including an automatically operated clampingspindle around which the article is Wound, and ejecting mechanismoperating to remove the Wound article from the spindle in package form.

7. A wrapping and package forming mechanism comprising a pair oftrough-like forming guides, a drum provided with j a slot juxtaposed tothe discharge end of the forming guides to permit the passage of thearticle from the forming guides to the interior of the drum, a clampingspindle centrally disposed within said drum adapted to clamp the end ofthe article and wind the same thereon, means for imparting rotary andpackage forming movement to the clamping spindle, said means comprisinga hollow s indle journaled. and lprojecting into the housing andengaging t e clamping spindle, means for rotating the hollow spindle, areciprocating plunger within said hollow spindle adapted to engage andoperate the clamping spindle, ejecting mechanism for removing the woundarticle from the clamping spindle, said ejecting mechanism including aplunger provided with a hollow stem surrounding the hollow spindle andmeans for imparting reciprocal motion to said plunger.

8. A package forming and wrapping mechanism comprising in combination apair of guides adapted to shape as article passing therethrough, a handoperated winding mechanism including a gripping member for gripping theend of the flexible article to be wound thereon, and hand-operatedejecting mechanism for discharging said article longitudinally of thewinding mechanism when completely wound.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LAWRENCE w. LUELLENL Witnesses:

P. FRANK SONNEK, LILLIAN L. MALZER.

